Benefits of drinking less alcohol

If you regularly drink above the lower-risk guidelines, cutting back on alcohol can help your general well-being. Once you start cutting back, you'll probably notice the benefits quite quickly:

Feeling better in the mornings

Having more energy and feeling less tired during the day

Your skin may start to look better

On top of this, too much booze can really pile on the pounds. If you drink 10 pints a week, you could be taking on more than 120,000 calories a year. And there are more calories in a single measure of spirits than in the same volume of single cream. So if you cut back you'll start to feel in better shape.

On top of this, because regular drinking can affect your immune system, heavy drinkers can have more problems with infectious diseases. So if you cut down, your system will be able to fight off bugs more easily which can contribute to better general health.

Feel better

As time goes on, you may also find you're in a better mood more often. Heavy drinking can be linked to depression, and sometimes a hangover can leave you feeling low. If you already feel anxious or sad when you're sober, drinking can make this worse. So drinking less can mean you feel happier, more of the time.

There can also be other benefits – if you cut down you’ll find you have more cash in your pocket. Keep an eye on the pennies by setting yourself a budget when you go out, or when you're buying booze in the supermarket - and stick to it! Having a couple of days in the week when you don’t drink will also mean you spend less.

If you cut out a couple of large glasses of wine a week, that could be more than £400 a year you’ve got to spend on other things.Why not save up and treat yourself? You could get a manicure with a friend, see some sport with your mates, or even treat the family to a meal out. Check your savings with the Drinks Checker

Time to cut back

Drinking less might also mean you have more time to enjoy other things like resurrect a hobby, get active, or spend more time with the family.Find new ways to spend your time

Look after your health

Regularly drinking more than the recommended levels can put your health at riskHidden health harms

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